Runaway Prince
by Lady Valtaya
Summary: *Retired* Vegeta is coming to Earth... and so is Kakarrot! Will the earth survive the childhood of two Saiyans?
1. So long Napa! Catch me if you can, Friez...

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ. Nor do I own anything worth taking if you are bored enough to try suing someone today.

Notes: Well, have you ever wondered how Vegeta would've turned out if he hadn't been raised by Frieza???

Runaway Prince

Prologue

     "Prince Vegeta??" Napa called, searching the seemingly endless corridors and rooms of the base, trying to find his young charge. The giant bodyguard was cursing under his breath every step of the way and struggling to keep his voice calm. He knew how angry Frieza would be if anything had happened to the young prince, and he knew he would be the first to feel the tyrant's anger. "My prince, where are you? Vegeta? Sire, please come out, Lord Frieza wants to see you and…"

       Crouched low in a darkened corner of an open room, Prince Vegeta watched his bodyguard trudge past, and he smirked. Frieza was a bastard that he hated and Napa was an idiot. The clever prince let his tail flicker curiously in the shadows as he crept from his hiding spot, and looked around the room. So, this was the nursery? He snorted, walking slowly through the dark and silent chamber. He had to find a baby that would be leaving soon, so he checked the charts and finally, at the far end of the room saw something that looked promising… even if it was more than a little insulting.

       According to the chart, the infant was called Kakarrot and he was a third class warrior. Vegeta wrinkled up his nose in disgust until he looked at the next line. Parents… Celera and Bardock. He had heard of those two… Vegeta chewed his lip for a moment, but before he could come to a decision, the lights came on and the workers came back. Vegeta hid, crouching low and silently behind the incubators.

       "Well, that was a great lunch, what'dya say we go ahead and launch this lil guy, Kakarrot's next, isn't he?"

       "Yeah, yeah, let's do it, I've got about a million forms to fill out on a couple of these new ones yet and…" The larger took Kakarrot in his incu-bed and tucked it under his arm and Vegeta growled low as he followed them. When they reached the launch area, the prince forced himself to be quiet, and hid silently in the shadows next to the launch tube. He had to trade places with that infant… but how? Vegeta wondered. The whole point was to escape Frieza undetected… and if he knocked these idiots out and stole the pod, it would alert Frieza to his plan and he'd be retrieved even sooner than Kakarrot would've been after completing his mission. To do this quietly was the only way he could train and try to get strong enough to destroy Frieza. He knew he couldn't train his hardest if he always had Frieza's goons around him to report his every move and power increase!!

        They placed Kakarrot in the pod and had just begun to hook up the hoses and wires to the incu-bed when a loud beeping began in the nursery and several of the babies began to cry. "A'gus, you forgot to empty the excrement holding tank before we went to lunch, didn't you?"

       "Hey! I didn't see you run over to hit that switch either!! Damn it I don't have time for two dozen screaming kids right now… Alright, Kakarrot, you stay here, lil' fella."

       Vegeta was simultaneously relieved and disgusted… but not knowing how long the two morons would be gone, he wasted no time in unhooking the small pod from its place in the larger one. He smirked as he put the infant's little pod down and tapped a button on the top of the incu-bed, opening it. He took the sleeping Kakarrot out and gently put him on the floor. The infant began to stir restlessly as soon as his warm skin touched the cold floor and Vegeta smirked evilly as he jumped into the pod and slammed the door, launching it as the baby Kakarrot started to cry.

       "Later, Napa. Catch me if you can, Frieza." Vegeta smirked, he tapped out a few commands on the pod's computer and the mission profile came up. "FX-50? Poor kid, this mission sounds really boring, but then again I'm not interested in the mission. I just need the time to train." The five year old Prince smirked as sleep mode engaged itself and settled down for a nap.

**

     Hearing the loud cries of Kakarrot in the other room, the two techs scrambled back into the launch bay and gasped. The pod had rolled away from the ship and the baby wasn't even in it. "How did you get yourself out of your pod, there Kakarrot?"

     "I told you never to leave babies in the pods with the hoses and wires unhooked! Obviously he was too close to the edge and it rolled out. Look, the catch on the top was opened, the main access is still closed! When it rolled over he fell out." Now we've lost an empty pod and it'll be at least twenty minutes to reprogram a new pod for this kid."

     "But sir!! I swear I had most of them hooked up!!"

     "Yeah, right. So let me guess, you think someone just waltzed right in here and unhooked everything and stole the mission from our little friend here? Honestly, A'gus I just don't see how you ever got this job. Put him back in his damn incu-bed this instant and let's get back to work. Before someone finds out we _lost a pod."_

      Baby Kakarrot had stopped crying to look at the two men as they came in and he growled as A'gus reached for him. The infant slapped at the man's hand and tried to bit him, but the technician only stuffed him back into the tiny pod and closed the hatch, he tapped the button that would release the gas and put Kakarrot back to sleep with a sigh of relief. "Don't worry kiddo, we'll get you out of here in no time."

        True to their word, the two technicians had Kakarrot launched and safely away just as a Saiyan space pod landed on the target nearby and Bardock crawled out…

Notes… NOW REVIEW THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I want to know what you think!!!!!!  


	2. So this is Earth?

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ… 'Nuff said.

Runaway Prince

Chapter 2

     Vegeta rubbed his eyes and yawned as the computerized voice of the pod encouraged him to awaken. "Wake up Kakarrot. It is time for you to begin your mission."

      Vegeta smirked. "My name _isn't Kakarrot. And as for the mission… I am not a third class weakling, and I don't work for Frieza anymore anyway." _

      The planet that he could see through the pod's small window was a rich blue sphere lightly ringed by white clouds. It was beautiful, majestic and yet it looked peaceful and he could only wonder what it would be like to be live there. Not have to be wary of Zarbon and Dodoria. Not to mention Frieza himself looming over his shoulder, threatening to kill his father…

      The young prince sighed. As hard as he had tried to protect his father and his people by being obedient to Lord Frieza, he had overheard Zarbon and Dodoria talking yesterday after he had finished his morning session in the training room… The most of the other Saiyans were already dead. His father, the king had tried to attack Frieza, several days ago, trying to get him back... And to punish The Saiyans' mutiny, Frieza had already killed their home planet, and now he was coming to collect him and annihilate the last Saiyan base… That meant the only Saiyans that would be left alive to amuse Frieza, would be Radditz, Napa and himself.

 Vegeta growled. He couldn't let it end like that. He had not told anyone what he had overheard. Instead, he had acted as if everything was normal, letting a plan to escape form in his mind. Part of him did feel guilty about having to leave Napa and Radditz alone with Frieza and his goons… but he couldn't think of any way for them to join him in his escape and if they didn't know where he had gone, Frieza couldn't force them to tell him. Besides, after he became a Super Saiyan, and killed Frieza, they would understand his actions.

       The pod began its decent toward the jewel like blue planet and yet Vegeta's thought were still of home. He wished that he were older, and that he didn't have to run away, but he knew that he had no hope of beating Frieza yet. His trainers had always told him to choose his battles carefully. A great warrior was aware that knowing the terrain and climate of a battlefield were as important as knowing ones' own strengths, choosing the right allies and knowing ones enemies. So far, Vegeta knew he had none of these things on his side. All of his instincts had told him to run, and still he could only wonder what would become of the Saiyans he had left behind. More than likely, Frieza would simply kill them… he was the reason they had not already been killed… and without him, Radditz wasn't very strong, and Napa was a moron. Frieza would probably not consider them worth keeping.

       Vegeta didn't even feel the pod's landing; he was too busy feeling guilty for leaving. He sighed as the computer addressed him as Kakarrot again, and got out. Blue skies and green grass. He paused looking at the scenery, but he shrugged at least it wasn't a barren desert of rock and scrub plants like most of the planets he had been to. Vegeta _almost felt a little guilt over that too, but he growled and pressed the button on his scouter, pushing those thoughts away. Saiyans were planet killers, that was just the way things were, even though it resulted in boring scenery._

       He could see some interesting power readings far in the distance, and one really large power nearby. Vegeta decided to investigate, the sooner he was familiar with this planet the sooner he could begin his training. He flew up out of the crater to look around. A giant reptile with a massive head and mouth full of huge teeth and small forearms and shoulders was visible over the tops of a few trees and he sighed in disappointment, realizing that the huge animal was the power reading he had seen. He needed to train, and even such a large animal wouldn't stand a chance of making an interesting fight. Still, he shrugged, he was hungry and it looked like there was a lot of meat on this thing. 

       Vegeta flew toward the creature and heard its loud rumbling cry. The massive animal was hunting too, but it wasn't having much luck apparently. He blasted at the huge reptile and watched it turn to look at him, it gave another thunderous roar and started toward him. Vegeta smirked, deciding to have a little fun with his food before he killed it. The huge reptile licked its lips and growled at him, in midair, Vegeta settled into a fighting stance and growled back.

      The prince's tail flickered restlessly for a moment before he wrapped it back around his waist and attacked. The monstrously large creature felt its head snap back, and was rolled completely over before it realized that the little challenger had moved. The beast scrambled up and looked around, startled, but the boy he had intended to eat was no where in sight.

      When Vegeta reappeared, the reptile gave a startled squawk and began to run. It was fast for such a huge creature, the prince was a little surprised, but he just smirked, it wasn't nearly fast enough. The steps of the reptile sounded like thunder and its footprints were huge, but he was getting really hungry, and he decided playtime was over... A Ki-blast at the base of its neck caused the animal to stumble and go down hard, while another blast put it down for good.

      Vegeta had roasted and eaten a good sized chunk of the beast's huge shoulder when his scouter suddenly came to life. Vegeta scanned the area on the ground and found nothing, but as the beeping and blips on the screen continued he looked up. The techs had sent Kakarrot behind him after all! Vegeta chuckled, practically purring as he congratulated himself on his brilliant plan of escape. The two morons probably hadn't even run a scan on the pod, they had been so worried about setting up a new pod for the infant that they had ignored procedure and missed noticing that the pod had been activated manually. It was what he had hoped would happen, but he hadn't really thought that his escape would work. Those two techs had probably deleted the first pods' departure from the log entirely. Vegeta couldn't help but laugh, there was no way he could have been that lucky twice… maybe Frieza wasn't invincible after all. If he could escape from a heavily guarded base and Napa that easily then maybe, just maybe he would succeed in his training too. Then he would return to find Frieza and destroy him for betraying the warriors who had worked so hard to serve him. 

          He used his scouter to calculate a landing site for the incoming pod and followed it there, forgetting his meal. The infant was probably already the only Saiyan left besides himself, they had been in stasis for a year on the trip here… how strange that the revenge for their entire people had to fall on the shoulders of a five- no a six year old and an infant that was still too young to sit up on his own. But Vegeta promised himself that he wouldn't cry. The Saiyans would see their revenge, but Vegeta supposed that it wouldn't hurt to keep an eye on Kakarrot... he was only third class, and a baby, after all.

        The pod came to rest on earth with a bone jarring crash, but Vegeta was hovering above the ground, watching from a safe distance. As the pod's hatch opened, Vegeta landed beside it and smirked as the smaller pod rolled out and the infant was released. Kakarrot landed on a rock and started to cry- loudly. Vegeta scowled and picked him up by his tail. "We are Saiyans not crybabies."

        The baby stopped crying as Vegeta turned him around to look at him, and gurgled.

        "That's better." Vegeta smirked. He was just about to take Kakarrot to the small camp he had made near his kill when his scouter came back on. "Shit… Now what?" 

        Kakarrot just babbled happily and latched onto Vegeta's tail that had unwrapped itself from his waist in his distracted state. An fat old man appeared at the edge of the crater, corresponding to the power that the scouter was detecting, but Vegeta didn't relax. He settled into a defensive stance and instinctively put Kakarrot on the ground behind him. 

        "W-what are you two boys doing out here in the middle of nowhere?" The old man asked, nimbly making his way down to them. "The nearest village is miles from here."

         Vegeta didn't say anything, he was watching him , and listening to the man's tone as much as his words… The language was strikingly similar to the language Frieza's Empire used as common, and there was nothing threatening in the man's voice or movements. The old man looked pretty harmless, but Vegeta still knew better than to drop his guard on a planet that had been put on the purge list… The Saiyan prince glanced at the space pod behind him and the old man's eyes widened, Vegeta smirked. 

         "My name is Gohan, Son Gohan. What is your name, little fellow?"  

         "My name is Vegeta… this is Kakarrot."     

         "I had a feeling you understood me, how old are you?" The old man said, looking at Vegeta for a moment.

         "I am five- six if you count stasis time."

         "B-but if you came from one of those… where did you come from you are only children. Why were you sent here?"

         "I sent myself here. I need time to train and get stronger. Kakarrot was sent here to destroy your planet."

         The old man smiled, and he was going to laugh, until he saw the indifferent expression the small boy was wearing. He had noticed earlier that the look in Vegeta's eyes was one of bold pride and cunning, but it was hard to imagine such genius and defiance burning in the intelligent gaze of such a small child. He should be laughing at having such an outrageous conversation, especially with a child- but he wasn't. He looked the boy over once more and noted that he was wearing what looked like some sort of armor, with a cape and an insignia of some sort… but more than that, the boy also stood like a warrior... like he knew almost instinctively how to fight. The younger child with Vegeta was unusual as well, they both had strange hair styles, and tails, but Kakarrot looked pretty harmless. Vegeta on the other hand looked like some sort of a young warrior prince, standing there so proudly, he was confident and intelligent… All together the Vegeta gave the impression that he possessed great power, Gohan had been one of the most powerful martial artists of his day and still he had never encountered anyone quite like this before. 

        "You are a bit young for a warrior, aren't you Vegeta?" Gohan asked finally

        "An Saiyan elite is never to young to train."

        "What is a Saiyan?"

        "_I am a Saiyan elite while he is a third class Saiyan." Vegeta was starting to get bored and Kakarrot was chewing insistently on the end of his own tail, having just spat out a handful of dirt. Vegeta picked the younger Saiyan up by his tail again and rolled his eyes as he lifted off of the ground.  "That is disgusting you brat! Come, Kakarrot, let's go. Food is this way…"_

        "You can fly??"

        "Of course I can fly! Doesn't everybody? Now, if you will excuse me this idiot is attempting to eat dirt, so I…"

        "Why don't you both come with me? I have plenty of food and I would like to know more about you. You can stay with me at my house until we can figure out what else to do. I think I know someone that might be able to help you, Vegeta, if you really wish to get stronger… But I would like to know why someone so young would be so determined to train, before I will take you to him." 

         "We are Saiyans. We would be fine on our own, but I am curious about your planet… We will follow you."

         The old man smiled. "Good, would you mind if I ask you some more questions?"

         "I suppose it wouldn't hurt."

         "When you say that you need to train, what is it that you are training for?"

         "A monster named Frieza killed my father, and the rest of our race. I am going to destroy him." Vegeta said simply.

         "Hmm. I see, but why are you carrying him like that?" 

         "It is uncomfortable enough to keep him quiet but I am not trying to hurt him. His parents would carry him this way if they were here, until he can walk, by then he will be too heavy." 

         "Don't you think he must be cold?"

         "No. Even low class Saiyans are resistant to temperature, gravity and altitude only extremely rapid changes in weather or prolonged exposure will hurt him… even without clothes. His Ki is a natural barrier and when he learns to control his Ki, his body will learn to compensate for variations in all three automatically anyway…"

         "You are familiar with Ki?"

         "Yes. Saiyans are born with Ki abilities, but they only become something we can control with training." 

Notes: I just love playing around with the DB and DBZ timelines!!!!!!!!!!! 


	3. You are a Prince?

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ. Don't even think of suing me since you won't be able to get anything out of it anyway.

Runaway Prince

Chapter 3

    Kakarrot squirmed and fidgeted at being picked up again, but every time the old man spoke, Kakarrot paused in his efforts to escape, and Vegeta realized he was listening to them. Vegeta noticed that the baby seemed to like the old man's voice. Vegeta really wasn't in the mood to talk, but he found himself responding to the old man's curious questions and friendly chatter as well, so the two continued to talk as they went, and Vegeta was relieved to find that the squirming infant went from irritable and hungry as they set off on the long walk to Gohan's house, to calm and happy. The infant seemed to become increasingly inquisitive too, reaching for the rocks and flowers along the path, and even the insects. Vegeta wrinkled up his nose in disgust as the baby caught a grasshopper and promptly stuffed it into his mouth. Finally, as they neared a small cottage next to a sparkling stream, Kakarrot was sleeping. Vegeta put the infant down in the grass and tore the cape off of his armor and put it over him. Kakarrot gurgled in his sleep, hugging his tail with one tiny arm and his new 'blanket' with the other.

     Gohan chuckled. "He certainly is a cute little fellow."

     "He has been programmed to destroy your planet and he is already strong enough to really hurt a normal specimen of your race, if he gets angry. But when we erase his programming, he won't be a danger to anyone here, and we have a while yet before he will be a danger to you."  

      "He isn't a danger to me yet? What do you mean by that, Vegeta?"

      "You are old, but I can tell by the way that you carry yourself that you are a trained warrior. You are also unusually strong for your race. Average for this planet is five. Your power level reads at 75."

       "What? How do you know that and what is a power level?"

       "This is a scouter." Vegeta told him, pointing at the small device he wore on his ear. "It calculates power and identifies movement of nearby enemies. It can serve several other functions as well, but mainly it is designed to locate life. Power level is a combination of things that the scouter measures to determine the strength and power of an enemy. It measures the energy inside of your body, and adjusts its findings to calculate the strength of your body accordingly."

       "How strong are you, I mean according to one of those?"

       "You don't want to know."  Vegeta sighed, looking down at the infant Kakarrot. "I've told you that I have come here to train, because I am not strong enough to fight Frieza. He is the strongest being in the universe. His power level is so great that it takes a computer we call a Base Defender stationed on a different planet just to try and measure it but it is said to be more than 12 million in his final form."

        Gohan blinked, but even through his shock he could see that his young visitor was feeling ashamed. The old man sighed. Gohan could see that Vegeta was unusually intelligent and independent but it just wasn't fair that he had so much understanding of such harsh things. If he really had come from somewhere in space it was terrible that they forced children to participate in their battles. "You know this Frieza person?"

        The boy nodded, looking up at the old man. Vegeta's midnight eyes burned with determination. "He loves knowing that I hate him and that I can't do anything about it. He has been training me personally, since he took me from my father. Frieza told me that he wouldn't kill my father as long as I did as he told me! He lied. I heard Frieza's two goons talking and they said that the others were all dead. Zarbon told Dodoria that my father was definitely on the planet when it was destroyed so he was killed. Frieza means to take over the whole universe the way he took over my planet and I am going to stop him. But even if I do, Kakarrot and I will still be the only Saiyans left."

        Gohan's eyes widened. Now the child's hatred of this Frieza was beginning to make sense, but he was still a little confused. "How can he take over the universe? It's just too big and…"

        "His ship is the fastest in the universe and any planets that don't follow his rules are destroyed. He also has armies of mercenaries that go out and clear planets for him, so he can sell them to the highest bidder. My people had been helping him with that- it's why Kakarrot was sent here- but about a month ago, after my training mission, Frieza refused to return me to my father. My father tried to get me back and Frieza killed him. I had been dismissed from training early yesterday day or I would not have known... " Vegeta paused and frowned. "I guess it seems like a month ago, and yesterday… but it took a year for Kakarrot and I to get here, stasis screws up my time sense."

        "Well," Gohan said with a sigh. "It sounds like you've had a pretty rough time of it out there, Vegeta, but I think that if you have come this far on your own, that maybe you will stop this Frieza from doing whatever it is that he is doing. But, in the mean time, how do you like your eggs?"

        "You have Grammarian Lizard eggs on this planet?? Or Namekian eggs are good too…"

        "Uh, how about Chicken Eggs?"

        Vegeta laughed when he saw the size of the tiny white eggs the old man pulled out of the refrigerator and moved to the door. "I'll be right back. I made a kill of my own just before Kakarrot landed. I will bring it here."

        "What sort of a kill?"

        "Just some big lizard. I will be back in about ten minutes."

        "But I found you miles away from here- it'll take hours to get back out there…"

        Vegeta laughed. "I can fly, remember?"

        Gohan stood in the doorway staring at the energy trail created by the small child and reached up to scratch his head. He wondered for a moment whether or not the boy would be able to find his way back, but he had to admit that he doubted Vegeta would get lost. If he thought he would be back in ten minutes, Gohan supposed that he would be back as promised. The speed with which Vegeta had left took the old man by surprise, even after all the other amazing things he had seen the boy do and say. Even discounting the hair and the tail, Vegeta wasn't a normal child of that Gohan was certain.

         Kakarrot rolled over and yawned as he sat up and looked around. "Gugoggaaooo Vegeee... Vegeee?" 

         Gohan chuckled and moved over to sit with the boy when he saw the infant's bottom lip begin to quiver. "He'll be back. So your name is Kakarrot? My name is Gohan."

         The tiny Saiyan narrowed his eyes and started to growl, but his stomach started to rumble and Gohan smiled and handed him a rice ball. "Goohaan… gabbbaa?" Kakarrot chewed on the rice ball greedily for a while. Then he pointed at the sky in the direction that Vegeta had left in and gurgled happily. "Vegeee…"  

         At first, Gohan couldn't see anything so he glanced back at the child and found him still staring into the sky. All at once a tiny dot appeared. It grew rapidly, and kept growing until Gohan realized that the speck he had seen was Vegeta flying through the sky with a Tyrannosaurus slung over his back. Two things struck him simultaneously, and he wasn't sure which realization was harder to accept… Vegeta had carried a lizard weighing around twenty tons, at least twelve miles through the sky… or simply the fact that he had killed it.

         "What do your people call this lizard?" Vegeta asked, hovering in the sky above the small clearing where the cottage sat.

         "T-Tyrannosaurus Rex." Gohan stuttered helplessly.

          "Doesn't look quite so terrible now, does it?" Vegeta smirked and shrugged the carcass off of his back, then landed beside it. "Anyway, it tastes pretty good, but I was playing with it before I killed it, so its muscles were bunched to run. If I had known I was going to be sharing it I wouldn't have been so sloppy. I suppose it just felt good to be out of that pod and…"   

          "Y-you killed that? By yourself? With some sort of a gun or…?" Gohan asked noting the blast marks in the creature's thick hide.

          "Well, I blasted it alright, but _I am the weapon. I don't need to carry special equipment for killing." Vegeta smirked, he summoned a small ball of Ki into his gloved hand and watched the old man gape at him. Kakarrot's eyes lit up as he saw the Ki ball and he tugged impatiently on Vegeta's tail. "I told you I am a Saiyan, we are born with Ki powers- doesn't this planet have anyone with similar ablities?"_

          Gohan nodded slowly. "M-my Sensei. Master Roshi, he has learned to focus his Ki so that he can use it to attack."

          "Then why are you staring at me like that?"

          "It took him 50 years to learn the technique…"

          Vegeta was about to laugh when he felt pain lance through his tail and looked down to see Kakarrot biting it. "I know you're hungry. That's what that is for, little baka… What do you want?"

           The infant had his arms stretched out toward him, his eyes following the Ki ball, like a moth drawn to a flame. Vegeta gave him a skeptical look, but shrugged and held it out to him, but before he could reach it, Vegeta cancelled the energy. "No. You're a baby and you're only third class, besides I know you're hungry."

           Kakarrot wailed and kicked his arms and legs. "Baaaa!! Vegeee! Naannanaa Hunnggy!!"

           "Fine, idiot, but if you blow yourself up and die then it's your fault." Vegeta growled at the fussy baby, handing him a small ball of Ki, Vegeta concentrated on keeping the energy stable, but he grimaced when the first thing Kakarrot did, was put it in his mouth and squeal in surprise as it shocked him, making all of his hair stick straight up. As Kakarrot rubbed his tongue, Vegeta sighed and glanced at the old man who was trying to shake himself out of his dazed silence. "Would you find this idiot a piece of that meat to chew on before he really does something stupid?"

           "How would you like me to cook it?"

           "Just give him a few pounds of it like that, he won't care."

           "Y-you mean raw??"

           "Yes."

           Gohan shook his head wonderingly, then decided that Vegeta wasn't kidding and cut a slab of meat from the dinosaur's carcass, offering it to the infant Saiyan. Kakarrot squealed happily and accepted it, putting aside the Ki ball which Vegeta quickly cancelled and rolled his eyes, he glanced at the old man. "You prefer to cook your food?"

           Gohan blinked. "Yes, humans usually cook meat to serve it."  

           Vegeta walked over to the woodpile and collected a few logs. Laying them on a bare patch of ground he ignited them with a small energy wave. "Here."

           "We could have used the stove…" Gohan smiled. "But I haven't had a good barbeque in a long time. What else would you like to know about Earth, Vegeta?"

           "What do you know about this planet's general population and technology? Communications and defenses? What about- why are you looking at me that way again?"

           "What way?"

           "As if I had three heads or something." Vegeta growled, looking into the fire.

           "I'm sorry, Vegeta, but honestly I've never met anyone as focused as you are- especially at your age. Your intelligence is unbelievable, and you are very strong, but I think it's terrible that you have had to grow up so quickly… Children here on Earth like to run around and play and when I look at you, I know you've never had the chance to do that, you know, just be a kid…"

           "And why would I want to be a baby goat?" Vegeta arched one eyebrow, trying not to look as insulted as he felt.

           Gohan laughed. "We often call human children, kids… it's just a saying of sorts, not meant to be taken literally."

           It was Vegeta's turn to look skeptical this time. "I am a prince. Even if I had not been taken from my father and put in Frieza's army, I still would have been raised to conduct myself with intelligence and pride. 

           "You are a prince?"

           "My father was king of all Saiyans, and I was given my official title as Prince on my fourth Birthday. My body feels ridiculously light here. I need to know about your planet's scientists. I want to know if any of them would be able to strengthen this planet's gravity. The base where Frieza had been hiding me from my father had a gravity room to compensate for the planet's weak natural gravity."

           Gohan blinked. "Well, Earth has a lot of great scientists… but what you are talking about is likely to be expensive, and time consuming."

           "I have considered that. I would be willing to trade for their assistance. I will consent to letting them see my scouter and my ship. The pods are small, but fast and light, easy to build, maintain and repair, but they also contain a great deal of information. The pod's computers contain blueprints and plans for building almost every piece of technology that Frieza and his allies' posses. Everything from a regeneration tank, Saiyan Armor and an incubator to a wrist mounted laser weapon can be created by using the plans and the information inside of it. Unfortunately, gravity rooms are still rare- even for Frieza and his forces they were time consuming to build and difficult to maintain, so they have not been widely used enough to be included in the programming of the pods."

           "Well, you did answer all of my questions- all of mine must have seemed pretty basic to you…"Gohan sighed, shaking his head in amazement. "But, I think that there are a few Scientists on earth that might be able to help you. There's those two crack pots- what were their names again… -oh yeah! Dr. Willow & Dr. Gero… There's also Dr. Slump… but he's way down on Penguin Island and then of course, there is Dr. Briefs. People say that Dr. Briefs can build absolutely anything, after all, he did invent Capsule technology. He and his wife live at Capsule Corp over in Western Capital. It's about 500 miles, but that is a lot closer than Penguin Island, and those other two are both crazy and probably dangerous and I don't know where you would even begin to look for them!!"    

          Vegeta smirked. "Well then. I believe I will pay this Dr. Briefs a visit tomorrow morning. Thank you, Gohan."            


End file.
